Submitted by Anonymous on Sun, 08/24/2008 - 13:51
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Kuril Islands Biocomplexity 08

did any one get hurt or tuch the strands of stinging needles?Undecided 

jacobCool

Thu, 08/28/2008 - 15:35

KBP Team

Jacob -
In the three years of this project there has only been one serious injury. In 2006, one of the team members twisted his knee and tore some cartilage and strained some ligaments. He has made a full recovery.
This summer, like most field seasons, there were lots of minor injuries: cuts, bruises, swollen bug bites, and stinging nettle burns. There were also a few minor chemical burns from a plant called "puschka." Puschka grows throughout coastal Russia and Alaska, and has a photo-reactive oil. That means that if you get the plant oil on your skin, and then your skin is exposed to the sun, you get a chemical burn that results in swelling, blisters, and low levels of pain and itching. For better or for worse, we spent most of the summer in long-sleeves and covered up with clouds or fog! So even though we worked in and around puschka on several occasions, we didn't have any major outbreaks!
--Dr. E

Thu, 09/11/2008 - 15:56

Guest

thanks and is there any poison ivy?
 
                                                    jacob

Fri, 09/12/2008 - 06:54

KBP Team

Fortunately, no, not where we were working.  Further south, on Iturup and Kunashir, there is poison ivy.  And it's quite a bit more potent than what we have here in the US!
 
---Dr. E